Alan Smith has broken his silence on his controversial move from Leeds United to Manchester United, insisting that the Whites should have been 'proud' to see him join the Red Devils.

Smith left his boyhood club shortly after they were relegated from the Premier League in 2004, joining their bitter rivals in a £7million move.

Relegation had hit Leeds hard financially, with the club forced into offloading all of their valuable assets and high-earners in order to stay afloat.

The likes of Mark Viduka, Paul Robinson, James Milner and Ian Harte all left the club that summer, but Smith's move to the other side of the Pennines attracted the most headlines - and anger from the Whites fans.

“Leaving Leeds to go to Man United caused a hoo-ha but I hope I got respect from the people I worked with and who managed me," Smith has told MirrorFootball .

Smith joined the Red Devils in 2004 (Image: John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)

“I would like to think Leeds could be proud of me going from Leeds to Manchester United because there is not many kids coming through the system from 10 years old who get to sign for one of the biggest clubs in the world. But it was a shame that people at the club who brought me through never got much credit for it because it had to be a bit hush-hush and people felt they had to hide it under a bush."

Smith would go on to three seasons at Old Trafford, helping himself to a league winners' medal in 2007, shortly after he returned from a devastating leg break.

Smith left Leeds shortly after their relegation to the second tier was confirmed

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“I loved it at Manchester United though, it was intense and I saw it as a great opportunity to learn from some of the best of the players," he continues. "I was probably a bit of annoyance to them because I wanted to learn and put myself against them in training. I remember my first pre-season I would sit and talk to the best players, like Roy Keane.